Something like that happened with the Fifth Doctor story "Earthshock". From what I've read, viewers didn't know in advance that Adric would be leaving, much less that he was going to be killed off. That, plus the fact that no regular character had been killed off before, was what gave the final scenes with the exploding freighter so much impact.

Absolutely true! Not an inkling had been given that Adric was going to die, and I still remember thinking "he's going to get out of this, surely". Until the ship blew up and you realised that no, he wasn't going to be ok. Complete game changer in the whoniverse.

Something like that happened with the Fifth Doctor story "Earthshock". From what I've read, viewers didn't know in advance that Adric would be leaving, much less that he was going to be killed off. That, plus the fact that no regular character had been killed off before, was what gave the final scenes with the exploding freighter so much impact.

exactly...i dont know why they leaked so much plot. it kind of ruined it

Absolutely true! Not an inkling had been given that Adric was going to die, and I still remember thinking "he's going to get out of this, surely". Until the ship blew up and you realised that no, he wasn't going to be ok. Complete game changer in the whoniverse.

Same here. Of course, the internet wasn't around to spoil things back then...
Damn, I sound old. sweatdrop